Archives
January 2010
It's a brand new year, full of fun and challenges ahead.. and what better way to start the year with a new issue of RECORDING? This issue delves into a topic we hear so many requests for, that it was too big to cover in one annual issue: guitar recording tricks and secrets of killer tone.
In this issue we have a fantastic interview with the guitarist's guitarist himself: Steve Vai. An expert in the studio as well as on the fretboard, Steve shares valuable insights on recording and playing the best possible guitar tracks. We also hear from Zakk Wylde, Neal Schon, and other famous guitarists on the components of their recording chains.
Fernando Curiel returns with the second part of his "Hybrid Guitar Recording Method" article, where he combines the hardware discussed in Part 1 (November 2009) with software and plug-ins for the ultimate in recording flexibility and dynamite sound. And our guitar-centric reviews include the Apogee GiO guitar interface, powerful effects systems from Zoom and Line 6, and useful guitar tools from Empress, Keith McMillen, and Peavey.
Outside the realm of guitars, we have a hard look at the latest version of Apple Logic Pro, a new FireWire/USB2 mixer-interface from Phonic, a great controller from M-Audio, and much more. Our AES report showcases a wide variety of exciting new gear from last October's show in New York, and we wrap up with a controversial editorial about a controversial topic: hype.
There's lots to be had, and we look forward to bringing you another great year's worth of reviews, tutorials, in-depth features, interviews, and everything else that makes the recording musician's life easier and his or her music better... starting with the January RECORDING.
Pick it up now on the newsstand... and so you get your next issue early (and save on cost), why not hit the big red Subscribe Now button on this page and have RECORDING delivered to your door each month?
Apogee Electronics GiO
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Apogee Electronics GiO |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
A guitar interface for your Mac... it really doesn’t get any simpler than this. Also: a quick look at Apple GarageBand ’09.
Apogee’s high-quality standalone A/D and D/A converters have long been an industry standard, well es......Expand
A guitar interface for your Mac... it really doesn’t get any simpler than this. Also: a quick look at Apple GarageBand ’09.
Apogee’s high-quality standalone A/D and D/A converters have long been an industry standard, well established in many studios. The company’s decision to focus its computer interface line on the Mac has led to a close partnership with Apple, including the development of high-quality interfaces such as the portable FireWire-based Duet (reviewed August 2008) and PCIe-based high-bandwidth interfacing thanks to the Symphony system (reviewed October 2008).
Apogee’s newest interface, the GiO, bridges the gap between the guitarist and the Mac with an audio I/O complement and control features well suited to guitar playing. It aims to provide you with everything you need to record guitar and nothing you don’t...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Reviewed & Revisited: Apple Logic Pro 9
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Reviewed by
Bob Emmet
Reviewed & Revisited: Apple Logic Pro 9 |
Reviewed by
Bob Emmet
New features and new content highlight the latest version of this well-liked DAW.
With seemingly little fanfare, Apple has released the latest update to the Logic software family: the new version of Logic Studio, which combi......Expand
New features and new content highlight the latest version of this well-liked DAW.
With seemingly little fanfare, Apple has released the latest update to the Logic software family: the new version of Logic Studio, which combines new versions of Logic Pro (9), Mainstage (2), and Soundtrack Pro (3) with a large library of bundled content, software instruments, plug-ins, and additional apps. The Logic Pro 9 update includes several new major features, and it also focuses on workflow and usability improvements—over 200 of them, according to Apple...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Reviewed & Revisited: Phonic Helix Board 24 Universal
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Reviewed & Revisited: Phonic Helix Board 24 Universal |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
A full-on analog console and computer interface that speaks FireWire and USB 2.0.
In my review of the Phonic Helix Board 24 FireWire MkII (December 2007), I noted that many old-school studios with lots of mics and inputs wer......Expand
A full-on analog console and computer interface that speaks FireWire and USB 2.0.
In my review of the Phonic Helix Board 24 FireWire MkII (December 2007), I noted that many old-school studios with lots of mics and inputs were blocked from entering the DAW age in a seamless manner because there wasn’t an easy way to turn all of that lovely analog signal into something a computer could absorb, without adding some interface boxes and a lot of cabling.
There’s nothing wrong with rackmount multichannel interfaces; they just require a different way of working than an analog console does. Making the jump from one to the other isn’t trivial in terms of money spent or braincells cooked in re-learning how to do things as simple as, well... tracking. So the idea of a device that lets you work old-school and new-school at the same time has a lot of appeal...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Zoom G9.2tt
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Zoom G9.2tt |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
A guitar multieffects processor with tons of realtime control and two real tubes.
Zoom’s large lineup of guitar effects ranges has an impressive flagship. It’s the G9.2tt, a full-on guitar processing system that seems to inc......Expand
A guitar multieffects processor with tons of realtime control and two real tubes.
Zoom’s large lineup of guitar effects ranges has an impressive flagship. It’s the G9.2tt, a full-on guitar processing system that seems to include a little of everything—an exceptional set of onboard performance controls, not one but two tube saturation stages, a complete multieffects system with amp and cabinet modeling, MIDI control as master and slave, and USB computer interfacing...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Once Over—Reviews in Brief
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay, Paul Vnuk Jr., and Fernando Curiel
Once Over—Reviews in Brief |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay, Paul Vnuk Jr., and Fernando Curiel
Furman Classic Series Power Conditioners; Empress Tremolo Plug-in; Keith McMillen Batt-O-Meter; Peavey MSDI; ThinkGeek Electronic Guitar Shirt; Dark Side Of The Tune Queen’s English.
Read these reviews in the January 2010 is......Expand
Furman Classic Series Power Conditioners; Empress Tremolo Plug-in; Keith McMillen Batt-O-Meter; Peavey MSDI; ThinkGeek Electronic Guitar Shirt; Dark Side Of The Tune Queen’s English.
Read these reviews in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Line 6 POD X3 Live
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay and Fernando Curiel
Line 6 POD X3 Live |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay and Fernando Curiel
Heavy-duty digital modeling and extensive interfacing in this guitar effects pedalboard.
The POD has been a part of many studios for over a decade. Since its first model, Line 6’s all-in-one effects processor has taken on ma......Expand
Heavy-duty digital modeling and extensive interfacing in this guitar effects pedalboard.
The POD has been a part of many studios for over a decade. Since its first model, Line 6’s all-in-one effects processor has taken on many forms and offered many different features. The POD X3 Live offers the power of the third generation of PODs in a floor-pedal format, with a number of handy extra features that make it equally suited to the studio and stage...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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M-Audio Axiom Pro 49
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
M-Audio Axiom Pro 49 |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
An intelligent USB keyboard controller that helps you make tough setup decisions.
Over the years, M-Audio has developed a wide range of keyboard products, from full-sized piano controllers with high-quality built-in sounds t......Expand
An intelligent USB keyboard controller that helps you make tough setup decisions.
Over the years, M-Audio has developed a wide range of keyboard products, from full-sized piano controllers with high-quality built-in sounds to easily portable low profile 2-octave controllers. Some have had audio interfaces built in, and others have had companion software that allowed users to configure the keyboards’ commands to their heart’s content. The Axiom Pro keyboards combine a finely detailed hands-on approach to control configuration with a new automated-assignment system called HyperControl, all within a newly designed layout...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Steve Vai
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Interviewed by
Fernando Curiel
Steve Vai |
Interviewed by
Fernando Curiel
The world-famous guitarist is also a recording geek, and shares his thoughts in this in-depth interview.
You know him for his unparalleled expressiveness on the guitar. His unique persona shines through every note, passionat......Expand
The world-famous guitarist is also a recording geek, and shares his thoughts in this in-depth interview.
You know him for his unparalleled expressiveness on the guitar. His unique persona shines through every note, passionately crafted with an impressive technique that’s captured a worldwide audience and allowed him to sell over 20,000,000 units throughout his 30-year career. His intimately clear and precise sound has warmth, subtlety and dynamics for days.
In the past he’s shared a great many “Alien Love Secrets” (his 1995 release) about guitar issues, and countless anecdotes regarding his years with Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake and G3. Here he opens up on the topic of the recording process and of his home studio where he worked on the material for his 2009 release Live in Minneapolis: Where The Wild Things Are...
Read the full interview in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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2009 AES Convention Report
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Written by
Mike Metlay
2009 AES Convention Report |
Written by
Mike Metlay
Lots of new products from the show floor in New York.
The Audio Engineering Society met for its 127th Convention in October 2009 at the Javits Center in New York City. It’s no secret that the economy has had an impact on the......Expand
Lots of new products from the show floor in New York.
The Audio Engineering Society met for its 127th Convention in October 2009 at the Javits Center in New York City. It’s no secret that the economy has had an impact on the audio technology industry, just as it has everywhere else; the show floor was quite a bit smaller than in recent years. Some manufacturers stayed away entirely (Digidesign was the absence most often commented upon at the show) while many simply elected to have smaller booths. Despite this, floor traffic was brisk throughout the show, and there was no shortage of cool new gear. Invention and innovation are alive and kicking, and 2010 looks to be a great year for exciting new product introductions...
Read all about it in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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The Hybrid Guitar Recording Method – Part 2
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Written by
Fernando Curiel
The Hybrid Guitar Recording Method – Part 2 |
Written by
Fernando Curiel
In our November 2009 issue we introduced the principles behind this method of combining real guitar amps with cabinet emulation plug-ins, and talked about amp and load hardware. Now it’s the software’s turn to shine.
In Part......Expand
In our November 2009 issue we introduced the principles behind this method of combining real guitar amps with cabinet emulation plug-ins, and talked about amp and load hardware. Now it’s the software’s turn to shine.
In Part 1 (November 2009) we examined how to make the best of both worlds—real amp tones and simulated speaker/cabinet tones. We described the ways of combining (real) tube amps (minus speakers), preserving all the amps’ tonal benefits, with plug-ins that provide the speaker/cabinet emulation in your DAW. We found that this method has great advantages—it lets you preserve the tones of your beloved tube amp, it lets you use your stomp boxes etc., it lets you achieve all the distortion you want without aggravating your neighbors and family members, and it gives you access to what would be a warehouse full of gear if it weren’t for the software in your DAW...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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RECORDING's Guitar Column
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Written by
Brian Tarquin
RECORDING's Guitar Column |
Written by
Brian Tarquin
The preamp you choose has a tremendous effect on your recorded guitar tone—just ask Zakk Wylde, Neal Schon, and James Ryan. We did.
In the past decade there has been a huge surge of microphone preamps, everything from tube-d......Expand
The preamp you choose has a tremendous effect on your recorded guitar tone—just ask Zakk Wylde, Neal Schon, and James Ryan. We did.
In the past decade there has been a huge surge of microphone preamps, everything from tube-driven to all-discrete Class A circuitry. During the analog days, studios had recording consoles with built-in preamps, so no one really ever gave outboard mic pres a second thought, unless they were looking for a particular flavor on occasion. Today, with more and more people working “in the box”—doing all the work inside the computer—finding the perfect mic pre is essential...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Fade Out
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Written by
Scott Dorsey
Fade Out |
Written by
Scott Dorsey
Hype: An Engineer's Perspective.
I just came back from the fall AES show in New York, where a number of people asked me about a new heavily-promoted product being shown there. This was a product from a startup company so dri......Expand
Hype: An Engineer's Perspective.
I just came back from the fall AES show in New York, where a number of people asked me about a new heavily-promoted product being shown there. This was a product from a startup company so dripping with marketing hype that they had to hire a press agent to keep from being washed away in it themselves...
Read more in the January 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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